Toward Excellence in Secondary Vocational Education: Improving Teaching. Information Series No. 293.

Overview & Synopsis

Eleven recent reports related to excellence in education were examined, and their implications for vocational education were interpreted. Commonalities and differences among the studies were identified, and a selection of these was developed further with major emphases on teaching and learning. Topics were selected according to their immediacy and relevance for vocational education. The analyses of these studies highlighted the need for improvement of education in the public school system, concentrating on high schools. The most effective strategy was the improvement of teaching. Problems in the teaching profession and ways to differentiate and reward good teaching were identified. Needs were found for better teacher recruitment and retention, improved preservice education, technological and professional updating of teachers in the field, teacher recognition, equity and equality in teacher education, and certification. Specific recommendations addressed improvement of instruction through incorporating basic academic skills in vocational education curricula, implementing competency-based instruction in the vocational classroom, and using time-on-task research. Attracting a different caliber of student to teacher education programs, adding more years of study to preservice programs, and modifying teacher certification were considered as possible and necessary steps to improve the future classroom teacher. (YLB)